One Pony's Tale: The Drake Chronicles Vol 1
by Dr-Lovekill
Summary: Part one of a series, following the early years of a regular stallion named Drake. The adopted son of a sergeant in the royal guard, follow him through his foalhood in Canterlot, and join him as he attends school and deals with wealthy ponies. Read as he discovers his talents, attends military academy, and finds who he is amid the background of Canterlot. Ends 10 years before FIM
1. Chapter 1

_A note from the author: It's literally been a couple years since I have posted any stories on this site, or anywhere for that matter. Hope I'm not too rusty...anywho, this is the beginning of an epic that began 7 months ago, when I penned my first mlp fanfiction on notebook paper and called it good. Turns out, it was indeed a good story, and I couldn't stop. That story eventually became the third in a series, and you'll see it in good time. For now, I submit to you the first in the set. This story, and those that come after, center around Drake, an OC of my own creation. Now, if you're looking for a story in which an OC is a powerful alicorn prince missing for centuries, or an OC who is imbues with any magical powers or world-changing abilities, then *imitating Obi Wan* this isn't the fic you are looking for. Move along._

_About the OC: Drake is a normal Earth pony, as you will see. Sure, he finds himself in the right place at the right time...sometimes in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he has his moments. But Drake, I'm afraid, is a rather boring, uninteresting pony, leading a fairly normal life in the background of so many other mares and stallions. I dare say that if you were to go to Equestria and see for yourself, you may not even notice such a pony. But he has his own little life, with all its joys, sorrows, trials and all the million and one petty little things that go into making one's life what it is. He does good things, and he does bad things. He's quite skillful at some things, and makes a ton of mistakes. If you want to hear his life story, then read on...you will not be disappointed. Or maybe you will, hell I dunno. But I did vow that I would tell Drake's story, from his own pony-point-of-view. Here it is. Enjoy_

CHAPTER 1

Everypony knows their birthday. It's a stupid, cliched kind of thing, yes, but I guess we all have that personal holiday to celebrate the day we came into the world. It's a strange way to start an autobiography, to say that I never knew my birthday, but it's maybe pertinent to the life story of a pony who sort of blew around like a tumbleweed for the first half of his life to mention. Maybe it puts it all into perspective in a way. Of course somepony who nihilistically rolled with the punches and went with the flow his whole life wouldn't know when, how or where he was born, right? Well, I guess that's me. Dragoon Sabre wasn't born. He was found.

According to my adopted dad, he found me one night outside of his front door. Simple as that. A sergeant of the royal guard in Canterlot was in bed, sleeping before his next shift, heard a knock at the door to his small lodging, opened the door, and there was a small foal in a basket, swaddled in a blanket. Pinned to the blanket was a note, asking the finder very politely to take care of this child, and apologizing for any inconveinience. The stork who left the newborn foal had even been so polite as to give its name, though this was probably more of a suggestion, as they probably had no intention of ever coming back to check on whether or not the stranger in the house had kept the foal's name or not. At least they had been nice enough to include a care package consisting of a velvet bag filled with gold and silver, enough to at least help care for the abandoned youngster, and help pay for a decent education. He took the foal...me, in, and raised me as his own.

I would like to spend some time talking about my first few impressionable years, except like most ponies, I don't remember them. I'm pretty sure that at some point, I learned how to walk, and somewhere along the line, I didn't need a diaper anymore. I'm told I was generally a well behaved foal, and the only times I ever caused a ruckus was only when I gave in to my desire to explore and wander around, which I guess never left me. No, my real memories start when I entered school.

In case whoever is reading this has lived under a rock in the Badlands, or spent their entire life in a cave in the Land of Dragons, and is not knowledgable about Canterlot, let me fill you in. Most of the ponies there have money. Lots of money. And ponies with lots of money tend to beget foals who have lots of money by birthright, who all seem to _know_ they have money, and act like it. You probably don't have a ton of bits and a penthouse in Manehattan, and from your school days, you probably remember that one pony who did. Everypony else in your class was at or near your social level, and that one wealthy colt or filly stuck out because they made sure everypony knew they were better than them, right? Well, reverse this entire stupid class war, and you have my predicament. I was in class with at least a dozen other foals who each had more money than I would ever see in my life. The only other foals who were on my social level were the other children of royal guards, gardeners, butlers and shopkeeps. They were few and far between, and were treated no better than me by their peers.

My days were filled by lessons though, and the only time I had to deal with not being on equal social footing with my classmates was at lunch and recess, times I usually spent reading. I read classic literature, even at a young age. I read some poetry, science books, mysteries, and most of all, I read about the one subject I was always fascinated with; military history. Lost in my literary world during my lunch breaks, I couldn't have cared less that Fancy Pants was eating imported caviar on fresh vegetable crackers his personal nanny had made, or that Lace Collar had brought her butler to school to serve her lunch today. I had a daisy sandwich and a copy of _Julius Cheezer's Campaigns in Germaneia_.

I realized by the time I was 12 that I had a knack for swordplay, and began taking fencing as a class, an elective usually reserved for royalty and the extremely wealthy and bored. My dad approved of my pursuit, and between his training, fencing classes and my own latent skill, I quickly became one of the best students in class. Now some advice about swordfighting: not all swords are the same, and techniques and practical usage differ from type to type. Once I had trained to the level in which I could specialize in a particular sword, I had realized that the double-edged broadswords used by most of the Equestrian military as well as the royal guards was fine and dandy, but had all the grace and precision of a glorified battle axe. I was better off using one-handed swords, and lighter, better balanced ones at that. So naturally, I became well adept in the use of the standard cavalry arm, the light sabre.

Not many thirteen year old young colts bother to stop and wax poetic about anything, especially a sword. Me being me, I did, and here I shall. A 28 inch amalgamation of forged steel, brass, wood and leather, the standard light dragoon sabre is as much artwork as it is deadly. A perfectly upswept blade design allows for graceful drawing cuts performed in an arc, instead of brutal and powerful hacking blows like the straight-bladed sword. the thinner, narrow blade is lighter, and therefore, more quick and maneuverable, not to mention that a narrower blade is easier to thrust into an object (or enemy) than a thick, wide blade. The light dragoon sabre is a work of martial art, and grace incarnate. I had found something I was good at. And apparently, it was the skill I was born into, as it was about this time that I noticed something new about myself.

I woke up one morning, the morning after I had won a fencing tournament, to be exact. It was the fist time we had used live blades of our choosing in an exhibition of our skills. I had, of course, used a sabre, and had defeated five opponents using double-edged swords, two using shortswords, and one using a spear to come in first place. As I awoke the next morning, still sore from the exertions of the night before, I shambled into the bathroom to wash up. As soon as I closed the bathroom door, I noticed something odd in the full-length mirror. I had a marking on my flank I didn't have the day before. It took a moment for realization to set in, but when it did, it hit me like a boulder. I had gotten my cutie mark! There they were, emblazoned onto my flanks in all their glory; crossed cavalry sabres in the style of the symbol of Equestrian cavalry forces. I lit out of the bathroom, and galloped up to my dad, who was curious as to what the hay had gotten into me until he saw my flanks.

"Well, I guess we know your talent now." He said. "And it looks like you'd fit in with the cavalry. That's not really a cutie mark for a royal guard now, is it?" I thought about that for a moment. I was always good with swords, and military history was my strong subject. I'd never really questioned it. I just assumed that I would end up being a royal guard too. Was he disappointed? I looked up to see him grinning. "Come on son, did you think I was gonna force you into guard duty or something?"

"I...I dunno...I just figured that since you were a guard, and there's not much more I'm good at than military stuff..."

"Join the military then." He said as if it were that simple and obvious. "Heck, sometimes I wish I had joined the regular army. Hasn't been a war in Equestria in forever, but at least you get to travel a little. It's better than being cooped up in a city full of rich ponies you don't get along with."

"So you think I should join the military?" I asked.

"Why are you asking my opinion?" He asked back. "It's not really up to me. All I know is you're good at it. You'd make a great soldier. Whether you do it or not is up to you." I thought for a moment. He was right. I was good at military matters. Could I ever be happy doing anything else? Dragoon Sabre the butler...Dragoon Sabre the traveling musician...Dragoon Sabre the florist. Then, I asked my dad one of the most asinine questions a son has ever asked his career soldier dad.

"What branch you think I should join?"

"Hmmm...he mused sarcastically, a smirk betraying his ruse. "A unicorn regiment maybe? What about the Wonderbolts?"

"Good one..." I sighed. "So cavalry? I don't want to join the volunteer guard. I wanna actually do something." He didn't answer, just nodded. "I could do cavalry. Troopers usually get stationed in pretty far away places on the border and stuff."

"Pay's pretty lousy for a trooper." He grumbled. "And you're way too smart to be a private." What was my dad getting at? "Ya know, I have some money saved up for your future, and if you want, I can get you into academy."

"Academy?" I repeated. "Like...officer school? Really?" Even at 13, I knew a pony could go to military academy and become an officer, but from what I understood, it wasn't just hard to get into, it was expensive.

"Well, yeah. You're a natural at soldiering. You're smart. You get pretty good marks in school...except for language arts, which I don't understand. You speak better than I do." He laughed. "I think you'd make a good leader. And all armies need good officers."

"Well...I guess..." I thought out loud.

"Ehhh...no need to make life-changing decisions right now. You're only 13. Give it a few years to decide, huh?"

"Heheheh...yeah." I agreed.

"Well, I tell you what." He said. "Seeing as you just got your cutie marks, and you have alot to think about...how about you take the day off from school? I don't have guard duty for four hours, so whaddya say we go get some breakfast? Big stack of flapjacks...and I guess you're old enough now to discover the most magical potion in Equestria."

"Um...what?" I asked in a low voice full of wonder and questioning.

"Coffee, my boy, coffee!" He laughed. "A soldier's best friend! Now go on and get ready, and we'll get us some chow."

_Well everypony, there it is, the first chapter. What did you think? Bear in mind, this particular volume is only a narrative of Drake's early life. Later stories will have action, romance, horror, tragedy, comedy, drama, and more, depending on which little chapter of his life they are about. I welcome any and all feedback, positive or negative, as long as it's constructive. Stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Moving along, here is chapter 2. Drake now finds himself in high school, and...well, I don't want to give anything away. I hope enough of you are hanging in there and following the story at this point. As I promised, Drake's story can be a real snoozefest sometimes, but that's the entire point. The Mane 6, the Princesses and most of the primary and secondary characters are different in some way (Or in Pinkie's case, nearly every way) from everypony else. The main protagonists and antagonists stick out and make for a good story. What about all the other ponies you see in the background though? What are their stories? I often wondered this, and after I began writing Drake's little saga, I realized that I wanted nothing more but to make him real. To make him believable. But I digress. Here is chapter 2. Enjoy, everypony. _

CHAPTER 2

It was in middle school that I got my cutie mark. It was in Canterlot High School that I got the second brand that would attach itself to me for the rest of my life. If I remember right, it was in history class one day. We were learning the history of the Land of Dragons, and how a treaty was eventually reached between the dragons and ponies, preventing a war between the two races. Anyhow, If I recollect, the topic arose that the Equestrian military had two dragoon regiments stationed on the border, preparing to attack if a compromise was not reached.

"Who would have won, dragoons or dragons?" A pony whose name is lost to me asked, trying to be a class clown. The class gave a small laugh at the poor attempt at humor. The teacher was unfazed, and responded with his own witty remark.

"Funny you should mention that." He said. "You do know that the word 'dragoon' is a derivative of the archaic word drake. It comes to us from Prance, and though it identifies a type of light cavalry, dragoon also means dragon in its native tongue. So yes, dragons were about to battle dragons." The original jester scoffed, then turned to me.

"So, I guess that means you're a dragon horse, huh Dragoon?" He mused. "Doesn't that make you a...draconequis?"

"No, I'm just a normal, everyday drake." I answered. That got a chuckle from a few of my classmates, and from then on, like it or not, my name was Drake. Things like that spread like wildfire, I guess, and it didn't take long for most of my classmates and even a few of my teachers to start calling me by my new name. It stuck, and I suppose I could be called worse. Believe me, I have been.

For the most part though, high school was no different from middle school. Same day-by-day routine, only with more advanced lessons. Of course, I was still good at science and history. Especially history. Math came a bit harder to me, and I passed with reasonable grades and not much distress. But then there was language arts, the eternal bane of my school existence.

Let me elaborate, everypony. I like poetry and classical literature and all that. I've been told that I'm not too bad at making speeches, and if you're reading this, you can pretty much assume that my writing ability isn't too shabby either. If only language arts were actually about reading and writing, and using language, I probably could have breezed by without a problem. For some, ungodly reason though, it's not. I wasn't a star student in language arts in grade school, nor did I get many A's and B's in it in middle school. In high school, I came up with a unique philosophy about language arts that I hold onto to this day. What pony in their right mind obsesses over finding dangling participles at the end of a sentence, and who puts that much emphasis on the obliteration of regional dialects in favor of some strange, unified Equestrian writing style that deals more with proper prepositional placement than it does sounding natural and comfortable? If I want to say 'ain't', and end my sentence with a preposition, then I ain't gonna care what anypony thinks, and I'm gonna do it no matter what rules it's against. That's my language art critique, and I'm sticking to it.

Another wonderful thing that comes out of high school is the whole click thing. You know what I'm talking about. And since I'm referring to a school where just about everypony's rich and powerful, they had to find other excuses on which to build their exclusive little gangs. You had your sporty ponies, your smart ponies, the cheerleaders and the uber-rich click. Then, you had the most ridiculous, asinine rivalries you can imagine just to paint it with even bolder colors.

Why unicorns so often feel that they are entitled to differential treatment, I'll never know. It's racist and xenophobic to put down a group of ponies that are different from you, not to mention stupid, petty and arrogant. Sometimes though, I don't know what's worse, putting down another group as if they are different and therefore are beneath you, or extolling your own race, gender or group as if you are some magical master race, untouchable by those 'little ponies' beneath you. Many times, I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying 'Yes, you have a horn growing out of your forehead, we all get it' .

And pegasi. If unicorns are guilty of elitism based on their magical ability and cultured past, then it is sheer physical ability that is the bragging right of the pegasus ponies. Pegasi can fly, that much is a given. Everypony knows this. So why do they have to make a contest out of everything just to show off that they can fly? What kind of arrogance makes two pegasi race each other to class, or challenge each other to a game of 'who can fly around the campus 20 times first'? With pegasi, everything is a show. Everything is about how 'cool' and 'amazing' they are. Personally, most pegasi I've ever met are _only_ good at looking cool and flying fast.

I remember a particular incident involving a pegasus. We were in physical education, and I was trotting briskly around the track. A pegasus in my class came flying up fast behind me, and acted as though I was a solid wall preventing their amazing presence from passing.

"Hey slowpoke, get out da' fast lane." He remarked. I kept up my pace and didn't even turn my head.

"You got wings, and they don't look broke." I responded. I kept on trotting.

"Yeah, well this is my lane." He argued. "The fastest flyer in school always gets inside lane."

"Hm. Alright. If I see 'im, I'll make sure to move over and let him by." I said nonchalantly. The next thing I knew, I had a very angry blue-haired pegasus colt in my face.

"You don't get it, do ya dude?" He blustered. "You messin' with the baddest pegasus in school. I can stomp anypony around."

"Really?" I asked in mock-interest. "Well, I can't race you, it wouldn't exactly be fair, would it? And you'd probably beat me hooves down in any kind of sport."

"That's right buddy." He said.

"Then, I guess we'll just have to fight then." I said, looking him in the eyes. "I mean, I hate to have to go through all that...beating you to a pulp...getting suspended and all. Seems like a drag."

"Aww dude, I'm so scared." He mocked.

"I know you are...dude." I replied calmly. "You're scared to death right now. And you know what's gonna happen the minute you take a swing. Pegasi like you have all the flying skills in the world, but earth ponies have the brute strength. And the brains to back it up. Now are you really gonna do something..._dude_?" He was speechless a moment.

"Whatever. You ain't worth it." He said, trying to save face. He flew off in a huff.

"Nope. I sure ain't" I muttered.

Of course, I wasn't at school 24/7. On weekends, I usually went camping, deep into the woods, far away from the nearest pony. There, in the middle of nowhere, I could pit my skills against the apathetic logic of nature. I could hone my tracking skills. There in nature, it was just me. Hacking out an existence with nopony there to help me. Nopony to rely on, and nopony to rely on me. In a way, it was just like my everyday life, only simplified to its barest, most naked truths.

I wasn't depressed. I could sit all day and let it sink in that I had no real friends, and not care. I knew that I was adopted, that my real parents had abandoned me, but I guess it never really hit me that I should be anything but alone. It was working out fine. I was good at a lot of stuff. Damn good. Nearing the end of my senior year, I had decided to go to academy and become a military officer, and there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to do it. I suppose that it was just my personal philosophy that if I really needed friends or close associates, I would've known. Or maybe it was because I was so used to not having those kinds of relationships that the idea of even attempting to do so never really registered. I did my school work. I honed my outdoor skills. I practiced my swordplay. I studies military history. This was my life. It was working out pretty good so far, so why bother changing anything?


	3. Chapter 3

_Now we get into Drakes early adult life, and things begin to pick up a little. Drake has entered military academy, and has his entire life pretty much planned out at this point. Be prepared for a well-known character form the show to appear in Drake's life. Hope you enjoy. _

CHAPTER 3

With high school finally behind me, it was time to set my sights on my future. I had long decided that becoming a military officer was the best direction for my life. It was already planned that I had the money set aside to go to college on, and given that I was practically destined to become a soldier, military academy was the only logical choice for me. It was the fact that my adopted dad was a sergeant in the royal guard, and wrote a letter of recommendation, which was enclosed along with a transcript of my school records that got me in. That, and the fact that we were paying the tuition up front in full, in good solid bits.

Academy was a different world. A different world that I was completely new to, and I admit that it took me a while to become acclimated to it. We all lived at the school, in small apartment-like dorms, each with two small bedrooms, a single common room, and a small kitchen. On day one, we were all called to attention, in something only vaguely resembling a formation, and paired off to be assigned our dorm, which was to be our homes for the next 4 years. As I stood there, 18 years old and wondering exactly what I had gotten myself into, the gruff, military stallion shouted out my name.

"Sir!" I shouted in reply.

"Shining...Armor!" He barked.

"Yes sir!" A voice from somewhere to the left of me called back.

"Dorm 114-B Hall!" The stallion, whom I guessed had the sole job of screaming at everyone, ordered loudly. I picked up my small duffel bag, the rest of my random possessions being in the saddlebags on my back, and began to walk toward the building designated 'B-Hall' by the wooden sign in front.

"I guess we're going to be dorm-mates, eh?" A voice spoke from behind me. I turned to see a white unicorn stallion with a two-tone blue mane trotting up with all the bearing of an aristocrat.

"It appears so." I replied. We would be living together for four years, and I figured that we'd may as well start off on the right hoof. "My name's Dragoon Sabre." I said in a friendly tone. "But everypony calls me Drake."

"Drake, eh?" He said, as if pondering on it. "That's quite the odd nickname, eh? Heheh. I am Shining Armor. Very good to meet you." Okay, beyond that, I had no idea what to do or say.

"Hm. You too." I said. "Wanna see our new palace?"

"New pal...oh, hahahah. That's sort of funny, Drake." He replied. I rolled my eyes and walked into the building. Following the small plaques on the wall, we soon found room 114. I paused a moment, then opened the door, prepared to enter my new lodgings.

"Oh, thank you Drake." Shining Armor said, pushing past me into the room. I sighed as I watched him walk in. Here was definitely a unicorn who was used to being served and handed everything, that much was already apparent. This was going to be grade school all over again. I walked in behind him and shut the door.

"Um...so do you want to..." I began.

"You can have that room, Drake." He said with a friendly voice. "I'd prefer this one. It has a window and I have to have my fresh air, you know?"

"Of course." I said in a sarcastic tone. Shining Armor immediately began to unpack his large bag. I watched as he unpacked several bottles of expensive-looking bath and body care products, four old hoofbound books, a silver teapot and two fancy cups and saucers, a pearl-handled gold-inlaid manebrush, a velveteen bag that was obviously either filled with gold bits, precious gems, or both, an expensive quill and inkwell, and a stack of what could only be personalized parchments.

"Um...you packed kinda light didn't you Shining?" I asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh, oh goodness no." He replied. "The rest of my effects will be here tomorrow. I have a wonderful opulent rug that would go nicely in this room, of course a better bed is in order, and my dishes are of the best quality." He looked at my small bag. "Can I assume the rest of your possessions are on their way too?"

"Huh?" I answered, confused a moment. "No, this is all I have." He stared at me a moment as if he'd just realized I was a strange new creature.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." He muttered. "So that is really all you brought?"

"Well, I have some soap...a toothbrush, a few books on military history, a pound of coffee, and that's about it, yeah." I replied, taking out the few items in my bag. "This is pretty much all of the essentials I need."

"Hm...where are you from, Drake? If you don't mind me asking?" Shining asked, not sounding at all like he was being judgmental for a moment.

"I was raised here in Canterlot." I replied. "My dad's a sergeant in the royal guard." I left it at that, at least for the time being.

"Ah." He said. "I didn't know. Sorry about that. I just assumed, you know..." I looked up. Shining was looking a bit ashamed for some reason.

"What?" I asked.

"Well...not many ponies of the..." He cleared his throat nervously. "...less-wealthy classes even attend military academy...not that you're not officer material just because you're not...you know, of the higher..."

"I'm poor as dirt, it's alright." I said. "It doesn't bother me."

"Well..." He remarked. "It's well that it doesn't. I mean just because you're less priv...um...poor, doesn't mean a thing. That's what I was apologizing for. I just assumed that you were of means, and I didn't intend any insult."

"Well, it's alright." I returned. "Really. I'm here for the same reason you are, so I guess on that level, we're perfectly equal."

"Hm. Never thought of that." He said. "So, what branch are you training for, Drake?"

"Cavalry." I stated simply. "I figure it's the best way to go. You?"

"Royal Guard." Shining replied. "My father is the captain of the guard, and inasmuch, I have been practically groomed for the position my entire life."

"So you had no choice in the matter?" I asked.

"Oh yes, but who in their right mind would ever pass up such a high position, a place in society, and a lofty endowment upon graduation?"

"Well...I don't know. I've never been in that situation, so..."

"Captain Shining Armor...it does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" He thought out loud.

"I guess..."

"Hm. And maybe when I'm captain of the guard, I can find a nice comfortable position for you in Canterlot."

"Eh...I actually want frontier duty." I admitted.

"What? Drake, why in Celestia's name would you want _that_?"

"I want adventure. Action, you know? I wanna see the world and be out there in the wild, living by my wits and having to think and act fast. I don't want to spend my life being bored. I want to live it up, see danger, get dirty. It sounds like fun."

"Well...I'm glad you know what makes you happy." Shining said with a sour look. "Just doesn't seem that entertaining to me..." He looked at his pile of items, and picked up a bottle. "Ah...you can borrow this whenever you want it. It's herbal bubble bath. Nothing quite as relaxing after a hard day than a nice hot bubble bath. You like bubble baths?" This was officially becoming one of the most awkward conversations in the history of my life.

"Yeah...sure...every day..." I deadpanned. "usually between teatime and my polo practice."

"No need to get defensive..." He muttered. "I was just saying you can feel free to use some of my toiletries whenever you want. That goes for the furniture too."

"Furniture?!" I questioned.

"Yes, the setee, the accent chairs, the antique mahogany table. When they get here, consider them as much yours as mine." He said. "I like to think we're going to get along quite well."

I was completely speechless. What could I do at this point but just stand there, wondering if this Shining Armor was serious. I'd been around wealthy ponies my entire life, but I had never met anypony like my dorm-mate. I had to admit that he was friendly enough...or at least tried to be. The only problem was that every time he attempted to be friendly, it still somehow came off as showboating. His generosity, as benevolent as it was, somehow was corrupted by a hint of boasting. I honestly didn't know how what to make of him, or how to take him moment to moment, and little did I know, this was going to be an everyday occurrence for the next four years.

_Didn't see that coming, did you? Okay, I did a little application of my own fancanon here, based mostly off of logic. Drake and Shining Armor are about the same age, and both are military officers from Canterlot, so I assumed that they would have attended the same officer school at some point. Making them dorm-mates was just an act of inspiration, and given how the military really works, somepony high-up in the school must have compared their backgrounds and talents and stuck them together to teach them how to cooperate with fellow soldiers with different attitudes and skill-sets. Either that, or it was a cruel but funny joke. As always, input is welcome. I'll try to get the next chapter up in a most expedient manner._


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

My first year in academy was essentially a primer in military etiquette, and consisted of drill in the morning, and classes until evening, leaving little time for anything else. Many of the cadets grumbled about this lack of down time. I couldn't have cared less. According to me, I was fitting in fine. I was doing well in my classes, and proving to be a natural born soldier. Because of my skill in sword-fighting, I was actually moved into a more advanced combat class, which meant the next year, I could take an extra elective of my own choice. Unfortunately, it also meant that not only did I have to see Shining Armor every evening in our dorm, but I also had three classes with him now. We had drill together in the mornings, and were in the same squad, which meant that on Tuesdays, he had the squad, and ergo was my commander, but on the bright side, when I was given the squad on Fridays, I could order him around, which sort of balanced out.

We also had military history together, and this became the only thing I had over Shining. I was the best student in class, and could often cite obscure battles and little-known commanders better than even the teacher himself. Shining, who hadn't spent every boring and alone moment of his early life reading, often had to get my help on assignments and reports. I savored every moment of his peacocking around, being the high-bred nobleman he loved to be, only to come crawling to me, asking for help writing an essay on General Corn Stallus.

There was advanced combat training, which was divided into three sections, one for each pony type. Ground based combatatives was the section I was placed in of course, and Shining dominated magical combatatives. There was also aerial combatatives for the pegasi in academy as well, though as you may guess, neither my rival nor myself bothered to attempt any of the tactics taught by those instructors. As a class, we all had to train with weaponry. Apparently Shining Armor's privileged upbringing meant that he had formal swordspony training too, so it came to be that not only were we the two best swordsponies in class, but we had yet something else to try to outdo each other at. The comical thing about combat training was that though Shining and I excelled with bladed weapons, we both barely passed archery, and were both of equal mediocre talent with lances. When it came to crossbows, Shining Armor did slightly better than I did. This shouldn't have angered, distressed, or even bothered me. I always disliked crossbows, and until class, had never bothered to pick one up. I should have been happy that I did as well as I had. But no, Shining had trumped me at crossbows, so in retaliation, I spent the next year practicing with them no matter how bad I disliked them, and not caring at all that in the cavalry, I'd never even have to use them.

The rest of my day, I had a class on cavalry tactics and strategies, geography class, and a class on basic officer decorum, which essentially meant a class on how a military officer was expected to act, speak, dress, treat the ponies under his command, and communicate with officers appointed over them. The word 'sir' was thrown around a lot, needless to say. I learned the material, but in my head, I always knew that I could never be as by-the-book and standoffish as the texts demanded a good officer to be. It didn't really make sense. Yes, discipline would have to be used to whip new soldiers into shape, and it was imperative that at the end of the day, your command knew who was in charge. But, as I surmised, wouldn't it make more sense to gain the respect of your command, and have them follow you out of loyalty and admiration than to force them to follow your every order for fear of punishment? How the heck to you coerce someone to fight and die at sword-point? Could I do that? Say 'Go fight because I said so?' No, it would have to be 'Because those are our orders, yours and mine, and I will lead you and stand there and fight with you as your leader.'

Geography was an interesting class for me. We learned of all the different nations bordering Equestria, as well as those across the sea. We learned their histories, their cultures, the racial makeup of their populations, and as can be imagined, their military history up to the present. All good military officers have to have a knowledge of other countries andr their martial ability, and should always keep up with the latest news coming from all parts of the world. You never know who you're going to be at war with next week, afterall.

Learning more about the Griffons and the Dragons, I did have to question how ponykind had managed to gain such dominance in the world. The answer came again and again as a simple, straightforward revelation. It was all about weaponry and strategy. The Griffons and the Dragons were much more fierce and powerful than any five ponies, but the fact was that we had better weaponry than the Griffons, and Dragons had no inclination to use either weapons or strategy in battle.

This leads to my other class my first year: cavalry strategy and tactics. If it sound complicated, it's only because they could have renamed the entire course "How to fight a battle when you're one of the few sentient things in the world that can't fly or use magic...101". Essentially, the chief duty of the Equestrian Cavalry to be a deterrent force. That is to say, cavalry is positioned in garrisons or outposts near the border, or in areas with hostile or potentially hostile populations. There, the cavalry acts as a sort of police force with the added purpose of keeping down trouble by their very presence.

During periods of war, the mostly independently-operating cavalry companies and squads are unified under their regimental, battalion, brigade and division command structures, and form large bodies of cavalry capable of impressive full-scale assaults in dramatic charges against an enemy, either head-on or against their flank or rear. Capable of operating as smaller units in battle as well, cavalry is used for scouting enemy positions and good ground, foraging, guarding camps, and daring raids into enemy territory. I was right. This is what I wanted to do with my life.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

My sophomore year was rather uneventful, and was to me, just another year of learning the incredible, impressive amount of practically useless information that somepony decided all officers needed to know. It was more drill, though now in the midmorning, more cavalry strategy, more advanced geography, and more Shining Armor living in the same dorm with me. More of him filling my nights with behavior that would've only been perfectly acceptable at a cotillion or in royal court.

I knew I got on his nerves. I have many bad habits apparently, and the worst, most reprehensible of which is the fact that I don't beat around the bush. If I have something to say, I just say it. It's not that I use profane language much, and I don't intentionally say insulting things to anypony. I just say what's on my mind exactly as the though sits there. The real problem though, was that I didn't know there was a proper way to inform somepony that you'd be getting in late, that it was bad manners to practice sword techniques indoors, or that there was a single socially acceptable way to discuss how lunch tasted. I did not know these things, and to be honest, I didn't really care. I think the fact that I obviously didn't care bothered Shining more than the actions themselves.

One evening, after retiring to our dorm, I had a long report to write on small unit tactics. I put on a pot of coffee, grabbed a cup of the brew, and collapsed onto a comfortable chair to start writing. Soon enough, my humble and permissive roommate came out of his bedroom.

"Drake...what in Equestria is that smell...is that coffee?" He asked.

"Yep. Go get a cup, Shining." I answered. "It's good stuff."

"I will do nothing of the sort." He replied. "It's 7 o clock at night. You know you won't be able to get a minute's sleep if you drink that stuff, and we have classes tomorrow." I looked into my mug and swirled the dark liquid.

"Never bothered me before." I stated simply. "It's just coffee. Don't drop a load."

"Drop a...Drake, sometimes you are intolerable...incorrigible even." He sputtered.

"Yeah, well..." I I sighed. "...and sometimes, you can be a real girlycolt."

"Girlycolt?! How do you even come to that conclusion, Drake?!"

"No stallion...anywhere brushes his mane that much in the morning." I explained. High tea at four? And just the idea that you know as much as you do about flower arrangement makes me question sometimes."

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying the more finer things in life." He said with a snobbish tone. "You should try it sometime. You might actually like it."

"And you should try something that actually involves getting your hooves dirty." I shot back. "Go camping, get in a fight, drink coffee and talk to a filly."

"Well, you don't exactly have an impressive love life either." He pouted. "And besides, why would I want to do those things in the first place?"

"I dunno." I shrugged. "Why _wouldn't_ you?"

"Because...because..." He stammered angrily.

"Uh-huh..."

"Because they're beneath me!" He stated.

"Oh? So I'm beneath you." I said, giving him an unimpressed look.

"What...no...well...maybe some of the things you do." He answered. "I don't know why you act that way. You're an intelligent sort of stallion, and have all the making of a great military officer. But yet, you choose to act like a...a base, common thug sometimes."

"Well, it may be because I'm not a spoiled rich colt. I wasn't born into some life in a palace where I had meals served to me by some poor hardworking butler whose first name you probably don't even know." I scolded, finally tired of this entire routine. "I had to work for everything I got, and when I had time for fun, I didn't have some frilly nanny pampering me and having me play with other stuck-up rich ponies. Wanna know why I am the way I am, Shining? It's because I AM a common pony. This is how all the _little ponies_ act, and your breed is in the minority. Now I have a report to write, so let me to it. Go stick all that in your fancy meerschaum pipe and smoke it." I turned back to my report and began to write as I heard the door to Shining Armor's bedroom slam shut.

The next morning, I woke up and began getting ready for class. This to me meant brushing my teeth in the kitchen sink, running a brush through my mane a few times, and gathering up all of my books and papers for my various classes and placing them into my saddlebags. It was while I was on this last phase of my morning ritual that Shining came out of his bedroom. I didn't even bother to acknowledge that he had entered the room. I just knew that he was going to tear into me for what I'd said the night before. He had it coming, with his hoity-toity remarks, but I still had to live with him for two and a half more years, and it occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't have made an enemy of Shining. Surprisingly though, Shining didn't say anything offensive. In fact, it was just the opposite.

"Um...Drake?" He said in a low voice. I turned and saw that his mane was a bit more disheveled than normal, and he was looking more at the floorboards than he was me.

"Yeah?" I replied in a half-hearted tone.

"I just wanted to say...well..." He let out a sigh. "You always say exactly what's on your mind, Drake. I think I'll take a page from your book. Maybe I was wrong in judging your lifestyle and your way of doing things. You're right, Drake...you're right, damn it all. I _was_ born rich and raised to be an aristocrat. The way I do things...the way I act, it's the way I was taught to be. I _am _an aristocrat, and this is just the way we act. This is the way we think, and I don't think anything is going to change that. I rather like my life, and I'm quite comfortable with the way things are for me, just so you know."

"That, I can understand." I nodded.

"That said, you weren't born into the life I was. There are hundreds of thousands of ponies who will never have what I have. Good ponies. Stallions and Mares who have jobs and families and their own happy lives, and never will have to spend two hours getting ready for a gala, or learn how to properly drink tea. You have a different way of thinking than I do, but that doesn't mean you're wrong or bad or anything of the sort. We're just from different castes, and that's why we contest each other so much."

"Yep." I muttered.

"So...I apologize, I suppose. I may have said some things I shouldn't have. In fact, if I'm guilty of just one trespass, it's that I tried to force you to be more like me. You're way too stubborn for that." He said the last bit with a slight smile.

"Well..." I said, slightly taken aback by his soliloquy. "S'alright, I guess." I finally answered. "I mean, we've gotten along pretty well so far to have this whole 'Prince and the Pauper' thing going on."

"Well, to be honest Drake, I haven't had that much experience in being around ponies as...dirt poor as you." I gave him a look that started out as baleful, but soon turned to a grin when I noticed he was stifling a laugh.

"Well, I ain't had much experience with snooty, highfalutin' aristocrats either." I smirked.

"Droll, Drake." He said, rolling his eyes. "Well, we'd better get ready for class then."

"Yep." I replied, tossing my saddlebags onto my back. As we walked out the door, the only thought on my mind was 'Wow, it has a sense of humor.'


	6. Chapter 6

I am happy to see that I've had at least a few readers view my boring little story. And Thank you Bluecatcinema, for being my first reviewer! I'm glad you like the interaction between Drake and Shining Armor. I do hope that I'm doing well at keeping Shining (or at least a younger Shining) in character. I at least know that I am keeping Drake in character eh? Heheh. Anywho, if you enjoy Drake and Shining moments, you'll no doubt like this chapter. Herein, they have a rare moment of ideological connection with each other, and somewhere in between their rivalry and their respect for one another, between their differences and their shared convictions, and between their fights and their conversations, I think they finally cement the sort of connection they'll end up having for the rest of their lives. Or maybe not. They can't go more than a few days without an argument afterall. Haha...well, here it is, Chapter 6 of the story that will begin a saga I promise you will get lost in. Please send me reviews. Haven't written in a while, and I have a pathological fear I may not be as good as I once was. Anyway, enjoy.

CHAPTER 6

Junior year in academy was the year we really got into the fun stuff. Finally finished with all of our basic studies and introductory courses, we finally got to explore the finer points of whatever branch we had signed up for. For Shining Armor, this meant he got to work on magic spells and whatever else it is that unicorns do in the military.

For me, it meant a chance to do what I like doing anyway: working on tracking and field-craft. From the time I was twelve, I'd spent almost every other weekend hiking and camping, so most of what they were teaching was stuff I'd already learned on my own. How to start fires, for instance, how to build shelters from sticks and dirt, and how to follow trails left by other ponies or wild animals. They also taught us techniques I had never thought of: how to filter water through a bandanna or cloth filled with clean sand, how to leave false tracks to fool pursuers and trap them in an ambush, and how to set up traps for the enemy.

As I said, this was something besides sword-fighting that I could take to as easy as breathing. Believe it or not, there were three ponies, two earth ponies and a unicorn in my survival class, who had never been camping before. Apparently, like my roommate, they had grown up in privileged families, and knew nothing about roughing it in the wild...or anywhere else for that matter. I ended up on several occasions having to help them figure out how to make a fire with a flint and steel. The unicorn was a total loss, and at least he was able to make up for his lack of ability at fire-making by using magic. He went on believing it was fine and dandy, and I went on believing that he was cheating, and we let it go at that.

More entertaining yet was our escape and evasion training exercises, which should have appropriately been called 'tactical hide-and-seek'. I hardly ever lost when playing the role of a pursuer, but after the first few failed attempts at hiding, I realized a damning birth defect had been thrust upon me. With a nearly stark-white coat, I blended in as well in the woods as the bright red pony in my class who suffered as much as I did, until we discovered a simple remedy. Camouflage is very important in a combat situation, and equally or more so when tracking or avoiding trackers. It's also made more important when you have a tendency to melt into your surroundings like an ink stain on a sheet.

I remember the first day that I used my new-found camouflaging technique. I returned to my dorm later than usual, as survival class was my last of the day, and tended to run late some days. I walked into the dorm, and Shining Armor was sitting in the wingback chair in the corner of the common room. He looked up and gave me a puzzled look.

"Can I help you...wait, Drake? Is that you?!" He gasped.

"The one and only." I shrugged with a grin.

"What in the...what are you covered in?" He questioned. I looked down at myself as if I had only just noticed something was different.

"Oh, this?" I answered nonchalantly. "Needed something to help me disappear in the woods. It's my own proprietary blend of mud, clay, leaves, sticks, and over a dozen herbs and spices." I grinned proudly. "I can give you the recipe if you want."

"Drake..." Shining groaned. "Shower...now!" I couldn't help it. I laughed all the way to the bathroom.

Another class that sticks out from my junior year at academy (for completely different reasons) was a silly, redundant course in 'proper etiquette for military officers'. This 'tea parties for warriors' class covered very many important issues in being a leader of soldiers. If I remember correctly, some of them were 'issues and bearing when addressing royalty', 'proper penmanship for correspondence', 'proper wear and decoration of the dress uniform', and my personal favorite, a small course in language arts. Canterlot Military Academy wants to make damn sure that its graduates are not only the finest military leaders, but also the most prim and proper. I was miserable. Shining thought it was hilarious.

Allow me to elaborate. Many times in this very necessary class, I found myself in full dress uniform, a stuffy, hot, uncomfortable light blue jacket, with more buttons than it needed, and more trim than I felt was attractive. While in this uniform, I was made to sit at a table and sip tea the right way, learn how to bow when appropriate, kneel when needed, and worst of all, put my normal personality and way of speaking to the side and 'speak appropriately'. Of course 'speaking appropriately' changed according to the situation and to whom I was addressing. As uncomfortable as it was, all I had to do was mimic Shining Armor's day-to-day mannerisms, and I passed.

You can probably imagine how tired I got of learning how to act like a snob, and you can pretty accurately guess how long it took me to get tired of it. I had to put up with 'proper bearing' for an hour each afternoon, then I had to deal with it in my dorm every night. Soon, I developed a routine that further irritated my roommate. I'll give you an example. I walked into the dorm one evening, carelessly tossed my saddlebags into the corner, and addressed the wealthy unicorn thusly:

"Evenin' Shinin'!" I greeted. "I'm about as tired as a blacksnake full of mice on a cold damn day."

"That is one...colorful euphemism." Shining commented.

"Darn right. Can't use 'em in normal conversation." I complained, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a cider. A hard cider. No classes tomorrow. As an afterthought, I grabbed the remaining box of five, trotted back into the living room and dropped onto a chair. "Not becomin' to an officer."

"Well, no, it's not." Shining agreed.

"Yeah, and it's dumber than my hind end." I added. "Shining, if I have to put on a mask and pretend to be all proper and dignified when I'm around royalty...or some brigadier general, fine. I can do that. But believe you me...once I ain't in proper society, I'm my old self in spades. Just a warnin' heheh."

"Um...alright...then." He muttered. I took a long drink of the cider. "Hahaha...I tell you, Drake..."

"Hm?" I asked, looking over, perplexed toward Shining.

"You are without a doubt the most unique and colorful pony I have ever met in my life." The unicorn said with a slight smile.

"Heh. That a compliment or an insult?" I scoffed.

"Well, it depends on the day, honestly." Shining shot back.

"Heheh." I chuckled, then tossed Shining Armor one of the bottles of hard cider

"I don't drink." He said apprehensively.

"Well, maybe not normally, but you are now." I grinned. He eyed the bottle nervously, then popped open the lid and took a drink. His sour face told the tale, and I chuckled again.

"Well, what do ya think about the common pony's drink?" I asked.

"It's certainly not...fine champagne." He answered

"That's the point." I said. He took another drink, and this time he didn't respond as sourly. I took a long drink and let the alcoholic beverage work its magic.

"Not...so bad." Shining mused. He took another drink. "It's sort of relaxing in a way."

"Exactly." I replied. I drank the rest of my bottle, and opened a new one.

"You um...you have another one I could have?" My roommate asked. I cocked an eyebrow up at him, then grinned.

"Weellll..." I jested. "Glad to see you have a pony side old chap." I took another bottle from the cardboard carton and reached it to Shining. He opened the top and took a long drink. We sat in silence a few minutes, until we had finished our ciders, then proceeded to open two more.

"You know," Shining began, the slightest trace of a slur to his voice. "you're not so bad a stallion...sometimes." Great, my roommate couldn't handle his booze.

"Heh...and you're apparently capable of being pretty agreeable too." I joked. Shining took another drink.

"I'm being serious here, Drake." He said. "You're a great guy, I just wanted to say that."

"Hold that thought." I said. I went into the kitchen, and returned with another six pack of cider, and handed one to Shining before dropping back into my chair and opening a bottle of my own. Already filled with three bottles of the elixir, I turned up the beverage and took a long, satisfying drink. I looked over to see that Shining Armor had done the same.

"You remember when you said I should talk to a filly?" He finally asked. I thought for a few moments.

"I think so, yeah."

"Well...to be honest...I _was _seeing a nice filly before academy."

"Really?" I asked, genuinely impressed. "I did not know that." He took a long drink and wiped his muzzle, before sighing wistfully.

"Big secret of course. It was nothing..._official_. More of a little scandal between she and I, heheh."

"Sounds like there was something there." I commented. He looked at me a moment, like he didn't know whether or not to admit something I already knew.

"Yes...I love her." He muttered. He turned up the bottle and drained the contents. "Hear that, father? I am in love with a mare outside of my social circle! Ha!" He reached a hoof over, and I placed another bottle in it. "Oh the disgrace!" He said cynically.

"Well, if you love her, and she loves you...what does it matter? I asked seriously.

"Because it all has to do with all the rules and decorum of aristocracy that _you_ always find so terrible, Drake. She and I are from different classes, and technically, we are not supposed to...mingle in that way without permission."

"That sounds asinine." I remarked. "The hay would happen if you did?"

"I don't know. My father would disown me...maybe? Princess Celestia would disapprove? Tartarus would split in twain and Nightmare Moon would return...I don't know." He drank practically half of his bottle in one swig. This was becoming strange and alien. The drunker Shining got, the more normal he became.

"Sounds like you need to figure out what you're gonna do about it, Shining." I said sagely before taking a drink of my cider.

"Mm!" He responded, in the middle of a drink. He pointed his bottle at me in emphasis as he swallowed. "I know what you mean, my friend. Once I graduate and become Captain of the Guard, I can become betrothed to anypony I please! I've decided. I love her, and I am going to court her, and one day, I will marry my beloved."

"Heheh." I laughed. "That's the spirit, Shining."

"I do miss her." He sighed. Oh no, drunk getting sad. Gotta do something.

"She a looker?" I asked, a playful smile on my face. He scoffed.

"Oh, she is one beautiful...delicate, alluring one." He said dreamily. "With all of the sensual, feminine features any stallion could ever desire."

"Okaayyy..." I said softly before taking a long drink.

"Her graceful yet ravishing mein is worthy of...of a classical sculpture...or a dim lit bedroom replete with satin sheets."

"Wow...that's oddly specific." I said. He looked at me a moment, then burst out laughing. When he caught his breath, he finished his bottle.

"So, do you have a special filly somewhere, my friend?" He asked.

"Nope." I replied. "Figure I'll wait for the right one, if she exists. Guess if she does, I ain't found her yet."

"Hm. But you seem so wise about such things." Shining said. There was a moment of silence, broken when we opened two more bottles of cider. "Why did you join the military, Drake?" He asked.

"I's always good at it. Don't think I could do anything else..." I replied, starting to feel my drinks.

"Nothin' beyond that?" Shining pressed.

"I dunno." I admitted. "I'm gonna graduate, and be a cavalry lieutenant, and probably spend most my time on the border or out in the frontier or something. Protecting ponies...doing some good for Equestria, I guess."

"Sacrificing your own safety and comfort for others...you're a rare one."

"Haha, Well, that's why I gotta do it, right? Nopony else is gonna do this job."

"Noble...that's sure noble, Drake."

"Eh, isn't it the truth? Not everypony is gonna fight if they have to. Lotta bad out there in the world. I guess it's up to us to try and make the world a little better."

"Aren't you afraid of dying though?" Shining asked.

"I never really think about that." I admitted. "Why bother, dammit? I'm gonna die anyway. I'll die in battle or I'll die in bed. I'd rather go down fightin' for somethin'." I thought for a moment. "Heck, I'll settle for dyin' saving somepony before I spend my life doin' nothing and dyin' of old age." Shining was silent a moment. Then, he leaned toward me, and in a strangely deep and philosophical tone said;

"You're a whirlwind in a thorn tree, Drake"

"Wait...what did you say?" I asked, seriously contemplating the meaning of Shining's sudden esoteric insight.

"I...I um tired and gon' go to...bed...night." Shining slurred, already curling up in his chair like a foal. I was silent and still a moment, watching as my always prim and proper, aristocratic roommate lay in a heap, curled up in a wingback chair, passed out cold. I then lacklusterly drained the last of my cider and stood woozily.

"Aright...night Shinin'" I slurred. "Need some sleep too I reckon." Suddenly, the bed seemed so many miles away, and that rug looked very comfortable.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

_Just a short chapter about Drake and Shining's hangover the next morning...just for fun. You have to love their odd couple moments. Please review. I haven't gotten many reviews thus far, and would like to know how I am doing._

The next morning, I awoke on the floor. Standing, I realized several things. One, I had a splitting headache. Two, My back was stiff and my right legs sore from sleeping in an unconscious heap, with nothing but a hardwood floor and a fancy rug beneath me. Three, and what should have been foremost, I felt like something that had come out of the southbound end of a northbound manticore.

"Ugh..." I groaned, smacking my tongue in the gooey, stale cavern that was my mouth. "That's the last time I get drunk on cider." I muttered. My brain finally woke up enough to think rationally. "Nuh...it's the last time I sleep on a floor..." I hobbled into the kitchen, and drained two glasses of water. My mouth at least no longer feeling like flypaper or tasted like fancy cheese, I ventured back into the living room, where my companion still lay draped over his chair like a rag doll. I moved over beside him, and paused a moment, trying to figure out the most delicate way of waking Shining up.

"Ateeeeeen HUT!" I bellowed. Shining rolled out of the chair onto the floor with a loud thump.

"Oh...ow...what in the name of..." He groaned, trying to stand up quickly.

"At ease, Shining." I chuckled. "You're now the colonel of hangover town. Congratulations."

"Ohhh my head." He grumbled, holding a hoof to the side of his head. "Drake...you boorish nitwit...what have you done to me?" Okay, he was back to his old self.

"Heh. Got you drunk, I guess." I replied. He sat down and massaged his temples for a few moments, then glowered at me.

"Never again, Drake." He muttered angrily.

"You remember anything from last night?" I asked, sitting in a comfortable position in my chair.

"What do you..." He began, then stopped and thought a moment. "Did I talk about...was I talking about my beloved?" He asked.

"Ohhh yeah." I grinned. "You were doing some serious drink-thinking last night."

"I...you..." He stammered.

"Your secret's safe with me." I assured. He gave me a questioning glance. "I'm actually kinda glad you got so stinkin' drunk." I said. "I never knew you were a normal pony before." I laughed. "I think I like you better when you're drunk."

"Drake...I think I like you better when I'm drunk too." He stated. "Unfortunately, don't expect me to drink like that again...ever. I feel like I'm about to die."

"Perfectly normal, given how much you drank." I replied. "Don't be such a yearling."

"Shut up, Drake." Shining growled. "I'm in no mood."

"Hah." I laughed. "Alright. I'm gonna go get some breakfast from the cafeteria. You want anything? Flapjacks? Coffee? An aspirin?"

"Just get out of here and leave me to my misery, damnit." He answered.

"Alright!" I called in a chipper tone, walking out the door.

"The misery _you_ caused!" He called back.

I returned a half-hour later, after I had eaten a stack of pancakes and drank four cups of coffee, and felt much better. Walking into our dorm, I glanced around, but Shining Armor was nowhere to be found. I shut the door behind me and walked into the living room. My roommate's chair was empty, and he wasn't in the kitchen. There was only the sound of silence, and it was actually kind of nice. I walked to the window and opened the blinds fully, letting in the midmorning light.

Shining Armor had obviously gone out, probably to walk off his headache or to get something to eat. I finally had some time to relax. I retrieved my recently bought copy of _'We Were Soldier Ponies Once...And Young'_ from my bedroom, and finally cracked it open as I plopped into the chair closest to the window. I soon became fully engrossed in the story of the 7th Cavalry in their famous battle and was soon on chapter five, when I heard a terrible sound from Shining's bedroom that drew me from the story. I think it went something like this:

"I haven't slept this late since I was a foal! I can't even think straight! You've ruined me, and I still feel like garbage! Drake, if you're still in this dorm, I'll have at you with hooves and teeth like a barbarian!" He opened his door and peered out hatefully at me. I smiled back.

"You'll be alright, old boy." I returned gracefully. "A bit of tea and a warm bubble bath, and you'll be spot on in a jiffy, eh?"

"Go to Tartarus." He deadpanned, and shut the door.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Alright everypony, I'm back with chapter 8. Here, we get to see Drake's senior year, and look forward to his graduation. This short volume covering Drake's early life will be wrapped up soon, probably in the next chapter, and we can then move on to more exciting adventures as Drake gets his first Duty assignment. I apologize for how boring, silly, and unnecessary this story has seemed to be. I could have started later in Drake's life, but I felt it was important to tell the story of his early life. It, in a way puts the rest of the stories into context a little bit more, just knowing where he came from. _

_As to what Drake looks like, the cover art for this story is a rendering of Drake shortly after graduation. Hope this helps. Well, here is the next installment, so please read and review. _

Senior year was rather easy, as in military academy, senior year means a year of taking everything you've already learned, and putting a high polish on it. This meant another, thankfully less intense course in officer etiquette, more drill in full-dress uniforms, a mathematics class centering around the sort of math we'd have to do in the military, and a class on military law and rules of engagement.

I also had the luxury of two electives within my field of study. Being the outgoing extrovert I was, I chose military literature and opted for an advanced tracking, orienteering and pathfinding class. To me, getting lost in a book or in the woods was the best thing for me. My entire time at academy, I had been to zero parties, signed up for an equal number of extracurricular activities, and to be honest, Shining Armor was the only pony at Canterlot Military Academy who knew more about me than the facts that my name was Dragoon Sabre, I was good at swordplay, and was a complete smart-ass. All of the other ponies had their little groups they would congeal into between classes or on off days, their stupid pranks somepony was always getting PT'd to death for, and their sports and activities to eat up their time and energy. All that wasn't for me, and if it hadn't been for the fact that Shining was my roommate, there probably wouldn't have been a single pony in my graduating class who could recognize my face in a crowd.

Our class drill at this point had gone through 3 years of constant refinement and discipline. Every day, we trained how to work as a unit on the parade ground, how to march, move and think as one. If you have never seen a military unit on full-dress parade, come to Canterlot sometime and see for yourself. There is nothing as beautiful as an entire class of 60 ponies, all in matching (albeit uncomfortable and ugly as sin) uniforms, forming a single, symmetrical formation that can turn on a bit, shift and coalesce, and form magnificent shapes, and all to the melody of marching hooves. By senior year, we all knew how to march well, and look good doing it.

Military literature was an enriching class, and to me, it was just an excuse to read more war novels and fictional accounts of historical battles. At least half of the reading material assigned were works that I had already read once or twice, so the class was essentially a chance to kick back, relax, and get some reading done without a certain somepony distracting me with annoying whining. And my plan was successful. I had nearly an hour each day to read poems and stories and analyze what they meant and whether the author portrayed the battles and/or soldiers accurately. I enjoyed most of what I read, and some particular passages stuck with me, and did for some time. One in particular dug itself into my mind, rooted in, and stayed there for a long time, for reasons I didn't understand until later in my life. I liked the poem it came from, but there was a sense of foreboding that came with it, and I still remember, word for word, the quatrain that stuck with me for so long:

_'Theirs not to reason why,_

_theirs but to do and die_

_Into the valley of Death_

_charged the six hundred'_

This macabre poem stuck in my head aside, I enjoyed my literature class, and in terms of pleasure, it was second only to my tracking, orienteering and pathfinding class. I had all the skills to excel in the class, and by this point, had proven that as socially awkward and reclusive as I may be painted by some, and as strange and unorthodox as I may be, once in the wilderness, it becomes my domain and mine solely. It became so that nopony in the class could evade me or apprehend me during our tactical hide-and-seek games, and during the final test of the class, when we all had to go survive for one week in the wilderness, I was the only one to return with a smug grin, well rested, and at the same health and weight I left at.

But the day finally came that my time at Canterlot Military Academy was nearing an end. As graduation day loomed on the horizon like the inevitability it was (I'm not a poet, alright?), I began to think more and more about what I wanted to do once I was a freshly commissioned junior company grade officer. There are not many opportunities for butter bars in the military. Fresh out of academy, a new second lieutenant has yet to prove his worth, talent, intelligence or mettle, and is likely to find himself parked behind a desk doing administrative work, placed in the quartermaster department, or assigned to a regiment as an adjutant to the commanding officer. The latter sounds appealing, but at the end of the day, an adjutant is little more than a regimental secretary, and brass polisher to a colonel.

So the race was on. In the last three months of school, every cadet in the senior class frantically fought for open positions in various regiments and in Canterlot military offices. To many of my classmates, being a military officer meant a chance to acquire a cushy job in Canterlot, where they could strut around in a nice uniform, looking official, and possibly move up in rank so they could strut some more. I on the other hand was in the minority. I put in for assignments within active regiments and companies, especially those on the frontier and on the borders of Equestria. There were far less other ponies wanting these positions, but on the other hoof, there were less openings, and to me, being trapped in an office somewhere was a fate worse than death. So, I put in my papers, hoped for the best, and prepared for graduation with the rest of my class.

Graduation day finally came, and I had had a mixed bag of feelings about it. On one hoof, I was glad to get out of academy and finally do something with my life. No more book-learning. No more being on the receiving end of incessant drills. No more being cooped up in a dorm in Canterlot. No more being a cadet.

On the other hoof, it would be another big change in my life. I was still unsure of what the future held, and my last four years had been based in rote and routine. I gripe and groan about routine, about predictability and the mental prison of structure, but when you don't know what tomorrow will bring, and such things seem completely out of your control, anypony will begin to believe that a day of predictability trumps a year of not being master of your own destiny. As I sat there in that same chair in the corner of the dorm that my rump had worn a rut in for the last four years, I realized something. I guess what I really wanted from the start was to be master of my own destiny. But the more I thought about it, I began to wonder at this milestone of my life, if anypony really ever masters their fate. I wasn't cut out for this life...it had been cut out for me. I had been meant for this from the start. I was too good at all the things that had now made me a cavalry lieutenant. Was there a reason to it all? Had I chosen to be here? Had I chosen my destiny, or had it chosen me?

_'Theirs not to question why,_

_theirs but to do and die_

_Into the valley of Death_

_charged the six hundred'_

Shining Armor was up at daybreak, five hours before graduation. This was no surprise. It took Shining an hour to get ready for school every morning, and at least two if it were a special occasion. It took three once when he decided to carefully and meticulously hoof-polish every single button on his uniform and re-oil and polish his belt. This morning, he was going all out. I admit I groomed myself well too for this occasion. Not only were we all under orders to do so, but it seemed only right. So after my roommate was finished using most of the hot water for the last time, I took over the bathroom. I actually washed, shampooed and brushed out my black mane until it cascaded down my neck and back and shined in the light, and brushed out my tail to a presentable fountain of straight hair. I had polished my buttons, and now I ritually put on my dress jacket, straightened my belt, and gave myself a look in the mirror as I opened the bathroom door.

"Second Lieutenant Dragoon Sabre." I said to my reflection. "Heh. Guess I made it."

"You did." Shining Armor said earnestly, with a slow nod. He smiled. "Somehow, you rapscallion."

"Hm." I grunted. "I figured they'd make you general when you graduated instead of lieutenant." I jested.

"I think I will settle for Captain of the Guard." He said smugly.

"And I'll settle for Lieutenant Drake for now." I replied. We stood there in our dorm, silent for a moment.

"It has been a pleasure knowing you...Lieutenant Drake." Shining said, holding out his right forehoof.

"It has, Captain Shining Armor." I returned, shaking his hoof. My lips curled up into a grin. _"Siiiiir."_

"Smart aleck." Shining remarked.

"Pompous ass." I shot back with a chuckle.

"Graduation, Drake." He said.

"Yep."

We stood in formation, sixty ponies, all knowing that in a few minutes, we would no longer be cadets. We would be officers. We would no longer be students of war, we would be soldiers...and young. The commandant of the Academy, a decorated old veteran with a large scar on his muzzle, presided over the occasion. He gave a speech about duty and honor, and boasted that his school had turned out yet another class of the finest officers Equestria would ever see. All the while, we all stood at attention, some listening to the old warrior's words religiously, some using the time to reminisce about the last four years, some eager to just get their collar bars and go home for a while before their first assignment.

The valedictorian came to the podium and spoke. He was a strong, intelligent unicorn who had finished first in our class. He had the best marks, and had spent the last two years as squad leader. He talked about his time at Academy, the friends he'd made, and how he looked forward to his future with confidence and optimism, and hoped we all did the same. He was almost right. What I lacked in confidence, I almost made up for in optimism.

Next, Princess Celestia ascended the stage on the parade ground with grace and bearing fitting her position. We all bowed as she made her way to the podium, and arose just before she began to speak. She spoke with pride that we had all come so far to become brave, capable leaders, the kind of ponies who deserved the rank we were about to receive. She gave us her hope that we would serve faithfully and be as great as she knew we all had it in us to be. As she orated further, I noticed the young foal at her side. Standing quietly and attentively beside the princess was a young filly, a light purple unicorn, who did not move or speak the entire time. Who the foal was, or why she was there with Her Highness Princess Celestia puzzled me for some unknown reason. I only remember her now because of later events in my life that reminded me of her.

Then, with great pomp and circumstance fitting him perfectly, Shining Armor was called to the stage. He marched perfectly onto the platform and came to attention. Another pony, a blue unicorn stallion with a darker blue mane ascended the stage, bearing an ornate sabre. Behind him was another unicorn stallion, white with a blue mane and tail. They both wore the red full dress uniform of officers of the royal guard. When the group had gathered, Princess Celestia spoke.

"Shining Armor. As I expected, you have proven you are ready for your role and your birthright. You have made me proud. You have brought pride to your family, and its long legacy. I know you will serve me, the Royal Guard, and all of Equestria with the honor, bravery and integrity that your family is known for." She nodded to the two stallions.

"Are you ready to receive this sword," The blue unicorn Stallion asked. "...with all of the duties and responsibilities that go with it?" I realized now what this was. Shining was getting a promotion.

"I am, father." Shining replied. Aha. So this was Shining's dad.

"Good, because I need to retire and spend some time with your mother." The stallion said. There was a hushed laughter out of the audience and the cadets for a moment. Even Celestia chuckled at the bad joke.

"Shining Armor." The commandant stated, approaching my roommate of four years. "I hereby declare you a graduate of Canterlot Military Academy, with the rank of second lieutenant. Congratulations." With that, Shining saluted. The commandant returned the salute, turned and trotted back to the rear of the stage.

"Lieutenant Shining Armor." Princess Celestia spoke. "I do hereby appoint you Captain of the Royal Guard, with all of the privileges and responsibilities of that rank. Congratulations, captain." The two unicorn stallions moved to either side of Shining, and his father affixed the fancy sword to Shining's left side. They stepped back, and salutes were made and returned.

"Three cheers for the new Captain of the Guard." Celestia announced. As the crowd cheered, I groaned internally. This was the fastest promotion in the history of the military, and I was sure Shining was eating it all up.

After all of the speeches and special promotions, we began to be called up one at a time to graduate, to receive our bars and become officers in the Equestrian military. One by one, ponies walked onto the stage, saluted the commandant, got two patches, each with gilded edges and a single gold bar, were saluted by the commandant, and left the stage a different pony...or maybe they were the same pony, only now with patches to sew to their collars. Finally, it was my turn.

"Dragoon Sabre!" The announcer called. I did as trained, step forward from the ranks four steps. Stop. Pirouette left. March forward to the end of the formation. Stop. Pirouette right. March to the podium steps. All the while, it should be said, I was half nervous, half ecstatic, and concentrating on my bearing and poise. Slowly approach the commander. Salute. Have two pieces of wool, cloth and gold thread slapped into my hoof, the symbols and culmination of four years of hard work and study. Get saluted. March off the stage. Break out of trance.

The weight of it all hit me. I had done it. I was now A second lieutenant, the lowest rank of commissioned officer in the military, but I was happy nonetheless. There was nothing to do now but to go back to my dorm, collect my things and leave. I could go home for a few days of rest and relaxation before receiving my duty assignment. Then my life as a professional soldier would start. I had been a smart-aleck my entire life. I always had something witty to say about everything and everypony whenever I needed or wanted to. I'm sure a lot of ponies thought I was a pompous ass, just as I thought Shining was. I'm sure a great many thought I was a standoffish stoic. I got my commission, promptly walked back to my dorm, went into my bedroom, and cried for the first time in years.

_Well everypony, Drake has graduated, and is now a lieutenant. After all of the humor in the story, I bet you didn't expect such deep, emotional moments, eh? Fair warning if you plan on following Drake's story deep into the saga; his life is not a static one, and things change when you...and he least expect it. That's all I can say without giving spoilers. The next chapter will be the last, and I hope to have it up soon, probably tomorrow as I have nothing else to do. Please send reviews. I love hearing from my readers. Until next time, stay tuned. _


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

_This will be the last chapter of volume one, but don't worry. Volume two is already in the works, and will be a great deal more exciting than this one. I could say that it follows Drake as he develops as a character, and introduces new conflicts into his life that threaten to undermine everything he knows and changes him forever. I could tell you that volume two is a much higher literary work because it plays into the concept of fate vs. free will that you've seen sprout in this story. Or, I can just give you a spoiler and say that it involves buffalo and is set in an atmosphere similar to the episode 'Over a Barrel', and has action and adventure. Now we close One Pony's Tale volume one with a send off that leaves Drake where he was at the very beginning. No guesses as to what that means? Well read on and find out. Reviews please. I don't own MLP. _

After I had graduated and received my commission, I had a one week time out to think about what I had done. My applications were in, and it was a waiting game just to see where I would end up getting sent to. Hopefully, my skill with sabres and my ability at tracking and wilderness survival would place me at a higher demand than the other second lieutenants who may have been trying for the same positions I was. The military, however has a funny way of sticking you where it wants you to be sometimes. So needless to say, I was a bit nervous.

All the while, my dad was as blasé as ever about the entire thing. In his view, I was doing the only thing that I could do. If somepony is good at something, genuinely enjoys doing it, and can make a living from it, then why question such things? I began to question if I was just over-thinking everything, if my mind was running away from me and trying to create connections and patterns that weren't really there. Maybe I was just a nervous wreck and too smart for my own good, and that was all it was.

I had to visit the military post in the city to receive my standard issue equipment before. The cavalry quartermaster on duty promptly took my paperwork and issued me everything a new lieutenant needs. I received a sword belt, black with a brass buckle and a shoulder strap, a standard canteen, round metal with a blue wool cover and a white canvas sling, and a brand new cavalry sabre. Just like the ones I had trained with my entire life. It goes without saying that I immediately buckled on my belt and affixed the sabre. Next, I was given the symbol of the Equestrian Cavalry, a two inch wide pin made of brass, in the shape of two cavalry sabres crossed in an X. With this was given instructions to affix the pin to a regulation hat in a spot and manner following protocols for such things. So, I had to go buy a hat at some point in the next couple days. Pleased with my new sword, and finally getting my standard equipment, I had nothing to do but wait for a letter from my higher officers, eat, sleep, and practice with my new weapon.

Finally, the day arrived that I received a package in the mail. I sat it on the small dining table, and stared at it for several minutes before tearing it open. Out came a small stack of papers, the topmost of which was a form letter addressed to me;

_From: Maj. Gen. Winter Storm, Commander, Equestria Cavalry_

_To: 2nd Lt. Dragoon Sabre, Equestria Cavalry_

_Dear Lieutenant Dragoon Sabre,_

_We apologize for the delay in processing your information, but as you may know, because of Military Academy graduations and new commissions, we receive a great many requests this time of year. We also apologize if we are unable to grant or guarantee desired positions to all officers submitting requests for new assignments. At the time, there are more requests for positions than there are positions open._

The opening paragraph made my heart sink. I could already picture myself in some small, dim room, sitting behind a desk, signing and sorting papers for the commissary department. Counting arrows in the armory. Figuring how much soap needs to be sent to this company or that squad. I sighed and read further.

_Upon reviewing your test scores and transcripts from Canterlot Military Academy, we do not feel that your skills are best served on the borders between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom or the Land of Dragons as you requested. Unfortunately, there are no positions open for new officers in any regiment or garrison serving in the northern territories, which you also have requested._

"For Celestia's sake, just assign me to a hoof-polishing job and get it over with!" I groaned as the form letter continued to drag on.

_Given your abilities as a tracker and wilderness survival expert, you have been assigned to serve as acting second lieutenant,_ _G Troop, 12th Cavalry Regt. 2nd Frontier Bttn., currently stationed at Fort Mesquite in the frontier territories. You are required to be at Fort Mesquite within one week of receiving this letter, and any unauthorized infractions will result in your being listed as absent without leave..._

"I'll be damned!" I exclaimed in the silence of the house. I had just gotten assigned to a frontier garrison. I would actually get to see the world, and escape from Canterlot! It was now official, my life was set. I had everything I wanted ahead of me, and all there was left to do was sign a few papers, and hop a train out west. I quickly signed all of the paperwork, and hurried out to mail off the packet before the post office closed.

Walking down the street I had walked down hundreds, maybe thousands of times, I began to take stock of all the things I'd be leaving. Not that I was terribly miss every house, every cobblestone on the road, every tree and brick and every pane of glass in my neighborhood, but when you live for that long in one place, you get used to seeing it every day. It becomes your world, and the only one you know. No matter how tired I was of this boring, stuffy, cosmopolitan city full of rich snooty ponies, it was the only world I knew. Maybe that's why I had this odd feeling that everything was about to change.

I dropped off my forms at the post office, and walked to a small restaurant to get some lunch. Already in a mood for something more exotic than typical Canterlot fare, I did something unusual for somepony with a diet as predictable as his social life..I ordered oriental food. It wasn't bad, and two spring rolls and a pile of sweet and sour vegetables and chow mein noodles later, the waiter brought me my bill and a small fortune cookie. I chuckled at the small dessert. Who really believes they can seriously get good advice or life-changing answers from a little piece of paper inside of a cookie? I bit the end of the cookie and snapped it in half. When I withdrew my hoof, the white ribbon was sticking out of the remaining half of the treat. I pulled it out, and tossed the other half of the cookie into my mouth as I cynically turned over the fortune to see what kind of gibberish was written on it. My chewing grew slower as I thought about the words I was looking at. _Shut up Drake. It means nothing. Anypony could find meaning in that stupid little cliché._

_ 'Wherever you are going, that's where you are'_

I tossed the paper onto my plate, stood, and grabbed my bill. I stopped, turned back to the table, and stared for a moment at the fortune. For whatever reason, I grabbed the philosophical little scrap of paper, and folded it up before dropping it into my bag of bits.. I paid my bill and went home.

That night, I had a restless sleep. I can't remember the plot of my dream, but all I can remember is that there was blood, darkness, and I alone stood in the middle of it all. I was alone amid carnage, and didn't know which way to go. At this point in the dream, a light appeared in the distance, and as I gazed at the luminescence, a female voice spoke

"_Wherever you're going, that's where you are."_

"_What does that even MEAN?!" I yelled._

"_Wherever you're going, that's where you need to be." The voice replied._

"_What?!"_

"_Be where you need to be. You are who you are, and you are where you need to be. You will be where you are needed."_

"_Where the HELL do I need to be?!" I argued, looking around at the death surrounding me._

"_Wake up, Drake." The voice said. "Wake up." _

I was awoken by a knock at the front door. I forced myself awake, and it took me a moment to figure out if I were really awake in my bedroom, of if this was just part of that morbid twisted dream caused by eating too much oriental food. Deciding this was reality, I climbed out of bed. Making my way through the dark house, I wondered what time it was, and who could be visiting at such and ungodly hour. The visitor knocked again, and I reached the door, and threw it open. Standing in the rain was a pony wearing the golden armor of a Royal Guard.

"Lieutenant Dragoon Sabre?" He asked before I could speak.

"Yeah, is there a problem?" I queried. He was silent a moment, and looked away. The guard then cleared his throat. I already didn't like where this was going.

"Um...yessir...it's...it's about...Silver Cutlass." He stated. Something had happened to my dad. Okay, he now had my complete attention.

"What's happened?" I asked, my concern seeping into my voice.

"There was an accident, sir." The Guard answered. "I'm sorry...he died." I didn't know what to say. I just stood there like an idiot, and finally nodded.

"Right...thank you..." I muttered blankly, my mind still not able to process everything.

"Sir?"

"Morning." I stated grimly. "Give me...tell whoever to...give me till morning."

"Sir." The guard replied. I closed the door and turned back into the house I had grown up in. I wandered through the house, back to my bedroom like a ghost, and crawled back into bed. I thought for two hours about my adopted dad, about my situation, and about what I was going to do now. Finally, I let it all in, and broke down. I cried more that night than I ever have in my entire life. He had taken me in, and raised me as his son. He had stood behind me and supported me, and now he was gone forever. I knew what he would have wanted, what he'd always told me to do. I knew what I had to do. I was leaving tomorrow. I wouldn't go see him. There would be no funeral, no grieving outside of what I'd already been doing. There was no time for such things. It was something else I'd have to move on from and forget about. Not that I really wanted to...

I walked to the ticket booth at the train station, all of my belongings tucked into my saddlebags. I had a few books, a bag of coffee, a satchel of bits, a few grooming supplies, and a copy of my orders. My cavalry sabre was affixed to my sword belt, and I wore a new hat, a black slouch hat with the brass crossed sabres pin affixed to the front.

"Can I help you sir?" The mare in the ticket booth asked.

"One one-way ticket to dodge junction." I replied.

"Okay. The train to Dodge Junction will be arriving in two hours. That'll be ten bits please."

"Yep." I muttered. I pulled my bag of bits from my right saddle bag, and pulled out a hooffull of coins. I counted out ten bits, and raked the rest back into the bag.

"Thank you sir." The mare said, handing me a ticket. "Have a nice trip."

"No promises, ma'am." I scoffed, then grabbed my bag of bits and my my way to the benches by the tracks. I sat down, and reached back to drop my money back into my saddlebag, missed, and dropped the entire satchel onto the floor of the platform, spilling some of the bits. I cursed under my breath, and reached down to pick up my bag of coins. I noticed a small, folded up piece of paper that had fallen out with the coins, and picked it up. I remembered now that it was the fortune from the restaurant. I had folded it up and dropped it in with my bits. I unfolded the strip of paper and looked at the message typed onto it.

_'Wherever you are going, that's where you are'_

A wind suddenly picked up, and I let the fortune slip from my hoof, and waft into the air. I watched as it twisted and floated away like a leaf, wandering off to an unknown destination. Maybe somepony would find it, and it would become their problem to worry about and fret over. I sighed. It had come true for me. I was about to end up being wherever I was going.

I was an orphan again. Now, I really had nothing tying me to Canterlot, no family, no friends, nothing to ever come back to. I had been placed on a doorstep after I was born, abandoned by all the world except for whoever lived on the other side of the random door. Now, I was being placed at the gates of a far-away fort, a solitary pony assigned by fate, and my entire future depended on what would happen once I arrived at my destination.

_So ends volume one of One Pony's Tale. Things have come full circle for Drake in a way, and now he is starting life over in a new place. How will things work out for him? What changes will take place in Drake's life now? Volume 2 will begin soon, and as promised, much will be revealed. Look for chapter one of Volume 2 to be up in the next day or two. Until then, thank you for reading, everypony. _


End file.
